


A Tale Finally Told

by schrijverr



Series: Being Home [5]
Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: Domestic, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, my soft boys, that fits best i think, theyre soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schrijverr/pseuds/schrijverr
Summary: How Will managed to tell his family what happened to him on the 6th and 7th of April 1917
Relationships: Tom Blake/William Schofield
Series: Being Home [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1705828
Comments: 6
Kudos: 30





	A Tale Finally Told

**Author's Note:**

> You can find this work on my tumblr too, which is also @schrijverr. Hope you pop in and say hi!

Tom was the first Will had managed to tell the whole story to.

He’d told him bits and pieces, but he’d left out most the details and the true horror and numbness he had felt while wading through a war stricken land by himself after leaving the love of his life behind for dead.

Will felt he couldn’t tell Tom until he’d made sense of it all himself, so with his first paycheck he bought a small diary to write it all down in. 

Days he spend bend over the little book, his hands covered in ink instead of the blood he normally saw on them. He hid it from Tom, telling him he wasn’t done yet. Until one night, he crawled into bed next to Tom, wiggling himself into Toms arms and giving his soft cheek a chaste kiss. Tom smiled at him and asked: “Are you okay, love?”

“Couldn’t be better.” Will smiled back.

“Oh?” Tom made a questioning positive noise and Will explained: “Finished my notes.”

“Really?” Tom asked, “What was in it?”

“What happened.” Will told him.

That made Tom sit upright, taking Will with him. He looked down with unsure eyes, but there was a curious and proud tinge in there as well. Tom bit his lip, before he cautiously urged Will to tell him a bit more about it.

In the end they sat on the bed till deep into the night as Will recounted everything with as much detail as he could remember. He cried at some parts and needed to hold Tom tight as he forced the words through his mouth, a burden slipping from his shoulders with every revelation.

They never breathed a word about that night to anyone. It was something secret, something sacred, something to be kept in memories alone.

And it wasn’t until 1920 that he was able to tell the other adults in the house what had happened. It was one night, after Joe had said: “I think nothing smells worse than a forgotten butchered pig. I don’t know how it wasn’t found before now, really disgusting.”

Will had commented: “I think decayed people in a river are more disgusting.”

“Where did you smell that?” Polly asked him with wide concerned eyes.

Hesitating for a second, Will answered: “In France, it was already the seventh of April at that point.”

A hush fell over the room at the mention of the seventh of April, all had learned the date of the fateful day they’d almost lost Tom and they knew it was a sensitive topic for them.

Feeling the hush, Will decided that he had to go through with this now or he’d never be able to again, so he explained: “I had to jump into the river to flee from the Germans, they’d killed everyone, well almost everyone they didn’t kill the lady and the baby, but most of them and dumped them in the river. I, uhm, I found them downstream.”

“What?” Polly said.

“It makes more sense if you tell it from the start, love.” Tom tried to save Will from the awkward mumbling mess he’d gotten himself into.

“Uh, yes, yes.” Will agreed.

The other three sat up a bit straighter and Tom started to tell the story from where they’d gotten woken up by their Sargent and sent on their way.

Polly gasped as Tom told them how Will poked his head over the trench first. Will tried to assure her: “It was highly unlikely that the Germans were still there and I made it out, didn’t I.”

“But that’s such a big risk to take.” Polly said.

“There are more risks and I’d rather it be me than Tom.” Will stayed firm by his decision, which made Pollys face soften.

Will then took over to talk about their journey across no mans land, with the barbed wire and corpses. He kept the more gruesome details out and he didn’t mention he hurt his hand while giving Tom a way through.

He told them about the trenches and how much better they were than the British ones. Joe moped: “Of course those Germans would be more comfortable, fuckers.”

“Language.” Mrs. Blake was mostly ignored.

“I know, they had beds in a bunker underground and even bigger rats.” Tom agreed.

“That last part didn’t work in our favor, dear.” Will couldn’t help but smile and roll his eyes fondly.

“How so?” Polly asked.

“One of the rats took some food and started dragging along and tripped a tripwire, which made the entire bunker come down on us.” Will said.

The others gasped and Tom quickly said: “We lived, we were fine. I dragged Will out, quite heroically if I might add. And we shot the flare, before going on our merry way and we were fine.”

Polly remember the nightmare on the train from so long ago and privately though that fine might not be the best descriptor, but it wasn’t her place to point out, so she stayed quiet.

“A bunker dropped down on you, that’s insane, Tom.” Joe told them.

“I mean, Will did get a lot of dust in his eyes and we wasted most of our water on getting it out, but it could’ve been much worse.” Tom argued.

“Mad lads, both of you.” Joe shook his head.

Tom then told them about the barn and the planes in the sky. How he’d wanted to help, but it hadn’t worked. He finished with: “It was my fault, honestly. I should’ve known better.”

“Don’t say that.” Will told him.

“Why? It’s true, we both know I messed up.” Tom replied, the other stayed silent and followed their conversation.

“Then it was my fault as well. I had more experience and I knew it was bad, but I still let you do it.” Will said.

“No, that’s unfair.” Tom argued.

“Well, then it is also unfair on you.” Will said and when Tom opened his mouth again only to get cut off by Will again: “I’m not arguing with you about this. It’s either both our fault or neither our fault. You did something kind in a horrible place that’s much better than letting it turn you bitter, that German pilot was an asshole, who couldn’t see someone else wouldn’t be shit.”

“I’m with Will on this.” Joe spoke up.

Tom sighed then threw his hands up: “Fine, fine, it was the pilots fault.”

“Thank you.” Will smiled.

“What happened after?” Polly asked.

“I wasn’t there for that.” Tom said, giving Will a glance.

Will took a breath then answered: “A caravan came by. They were going past Écoust and were willing to give me a ride. If I had known Tom was still alive, I could’ve saved him sooner.”

“That’s not on you, love. Come on, don’t be hypocritical.” Tom gently told him.

“Yeah, yeah.” Will smiled sadly, before telling them about the ride over there. The cows, the senseless violence of it, and the delays were told, but his desperation and determination to die trying was left out.

“There was a sniper. I managed to hit him, but when I went to check up on him he was still alive and shot me. Luckily the hit was mostly caught by my helmet, but I lost a lot of hours lying unconsciously on the stairs.” Will said.

“You got shot in the head?” Polly shrieked.

“Uh, yes.” Will confirmed.

“And you went on like that?” Polly couldn’t believe what she was hearing, her brother was a complete idiot.

“In my defense I only had a concussion and if I stayed the Germans would’ve found and killed me.” Will told her.

“Is that how you lost your helmet?” Joe asked, finally able to start and put together how Will got to be in the state he arrived in.

Will affirmed that that was indeed the case and then explained how he lost most of his pack to the woman with the baby and then to the river in order to stay afloat, quickly glossing over his encounter with the Germans where he had strangled a young man to death.

Then he arrived back to where this had all started: “So that’s how I ended up in that river with the people. I had to climb over them to reach the shore, it was pretty gross.”

He did not tell them about the petals and the memory of a smiling optimistic soldier, who was filled with determination to save his brother that had encouraged him to climb out.

“It was already morning then, wasn’t it?” Joe asked, “We were about to go over trench, how did you get there in time?”

“He got there like an idiot.” Tom felt the need to comment.

“God, what more did he do?” Polly asked, dreading the answer.

“I, uhm, I went over the edge when I couldn’t get through and ran along the trench over the battlefield in the hope that I could stop the second wave at least.” Will admitted.

Joe laughed disbelievingly and shook his head to himself, before he asked: “How did you get in? If you looked like you did when I saw you, I don’t imagine they’d just let you speak to the Colonel.”

“I punched a guard in the face and yelled at Mackenzie until he listened.” Will told him.

“Crazy motherfucker.” Joe grinned.

Will turned to Tom and Polly and said: “At least, Joe appreciates me.”

“And Joe is also insane and an idiot, so I don’t think he counts.” Mrs. Blake, surprisingly enough said, making Tom and Polly grin victoriously, while Will and Joe grumbled.

“Anyway, I found Joe at the medical tents afterwards and you know how the story goes from there.” Will shrugged, glad that he was finally done.

“I gotta say that I now understand why you looked so incredibly tired, mate.” Joe said after a moment of silence.

Will gave him a small smile, happy that it had been Joe who broke the weird silence that had fallen over the room as the three others tried to process what Will had been through together with Tom on those days more than three years ago.

Then it was Mrs. Blake, who got up and gave Will a hug as she whispered with a choked up voice: “Thank you for giving up so much for my boys.”

He held on tight to her and whispered back: “Couldn’t be happier for it, ma’am.”

She quickly pinched his cheek and told him: “Mum’s fine, if you’d like.”

Will grinned with tears forming in his eyes as well and said: “Well, then couldn't be happier for it, mum. Thank you for all you did for me after it.”

He then leaned back into Toms side, who petted his hair for a few seconds, before Polly said: “Will, you are an idiot, but I’m glad you lived to tell the tale. You’re a good man and I’m glad my nieces get to have you in their life.”

She also moved to give him a hug and as she did Will started to protest that he wasn’t that good of a man, but he was stopped by an elbow in the side courtesy of Tom and with a huff he allowed his sister to hug him as well.

He was getting a bit uncomfortable with all the attention, but luckily Tom caught onto it and cleared his throat before saying: “Well, I’m tired after all that, so I think me and Will are going to retire for the night.”

Mrs. Blake also understood what Tom had meant and agreed: “Yes, quite. Good night everyone.”

Everyone bid their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

Will and Tom collapsed onto the bed and Tom said: “That could’ve gone a lot worse, don’t you think?”

“Optimist.” Will smirked.

“Oh, come on that went well.” Tom exclaimed.

“Yes, yes it did.” Will agreed.

“Mum was all- oh, you, yup, okay, you agreed with me didn’t see that coming.” Tom replied.

Will grinned and said: “Gotta keep you on your toes, dear.”

“Idiot, I don’t know why I love you.” Tom gave him a light shove, but he was smiling as well.

Will couldn't help, but admire him for a second. By telling the story again he was reminded how close he’d gotten to loosing this precious person who meant so much to him. Tom caught him staring and asked: “What?”

“Nothing, I just realized how much I love you and how glad I am that we’re both here.” Will told him.

“Sap.” was what Tom replied, but he was blushing as well and he leaned in to give Will a soft kiss on his lips.

Life carried on after that, the girls grew up and the village changed around them as life started to grow again.

Will found his little notebook back many years later. 

He’d never told Mary and Jane the real story. They had grown out of bedtime stories before they were old enough and they’d been told their entire life not to ask about it, but with the little notebook Will got an idea.

Again he spend many nights and days behind his desk staining his hands with ink once more.

He saved his project until the twins both turned twenty. There was a bit unrest on the continent, but Will was sure they’d fought their last war, the war to end all wars and it was time for everything to flourish again.

On their birthday the two received a book, written by Will himself. He had apologized that he wasn’t the best writer, but the two had loved it and promised to make sure to give it through to the next generation so that his story wouldn't be lost.

Wills favourite part had been the epilogue, he had cherished how he could assure the reader that Tom had survived, that they had found each other. He loved how he could tell them that they got to grow old together in a little cottage just outside the village, while their siblings thrived chasing their dreams and their nieces got to grow into two fine young ladies.

Will loved how he could have that happy ending.

**Author's Note:**

> They’re a bit more comfortable due to the time skip and as for the ending I didn’t want to write about WW2, let them have their happy little ending, just for now they deserve it.
> 
> ALso this is the final part, I wanted to end it on a happy note. It was a bit spread out and if you read the whole thing thank yo for waiting even with all the delays. I really loved writing this and I hoped you loved reading it too.
> 
> If you loved it please leave a comment with your though, because it really does make my day and if you're a bit shy Kudos also make me very happy, so thank you for leaving those as well! <3
> 
> (also I know no one probably cares, but Polly and Joe totally got married and bought that inn together and they are also very happy and everyone eats dinner at Mrs. Blakes house every Sunday which is always great!)


End file.
